Rivet & Chain

Blacksmith mid wallet

Regular priceSale price$250.00

Color

NaturalTanChestnut

Quantity

Free worldwide shipping

The Blacksmith is a mid style leather wallet, made popular by Japanese leather workers. It is made from natural vegetable tanned leather, which will stand the test of time and only get better with use. The style traditionally has six card slots, two hidden pockets, and a large bill compartment with room for receipts and cash in multiple currencies. The Blacksmith features one hidden pocket and a RiRi zippered pocket for storing change. At least eight hours of work goes into each and every Blacksmith wallet. All of the stitching is done by hand with waxed braided polyester Ritza Tiger thread, the best thread available for sewing leather. Tiger thread has a higher tensile strength than linen or animal sinew, which makes it perfect for hand stitching. It also does not change colour over time and is very resistant to oils and abrasion. I finish the wallet with solid antique brass hardware, an eyelet for attaching a wallet cord/chain, and a custom branded concho.

Vegetable tanned leather will develop a unique patina over time, absorbing the oils from your hands, the indigo from your jeans, and UV light from the sun. As it wears and ages, vegetable tanned leather develops a sheen in high stress areas, and darkens throughout its lifetime. The cover and interior of the natural wallet, pictured, is made from natural vegetable tanned leather. All of the colour options have natural interiors, which is the leather of choice for the true leather enthusiast. It is leather in its most raw form. It has not been dyed or altered in any way, and how it will look depends entirely on you. By purchasing a natural vegetable tanned leather wallet you’re starting a patina project. Note that it can be more susceptible to stains and water marks if left untreated, but every mark in the leather tells a story about the life its owner has lived. Use it hard, give it sun exposure, occasionally give it a light coat of oil or all natural leather conditioner, and over the years it will darken to a deep rich brown.

The tan and chestnut colour options have covers made from English Bridle leather, a vegetable tanned leather which is drum dyed and hot stuffed with waxes and tallows, providing it with exceptional durability. I source my English Bridle leather from Wickett & Craig in the United States, one of the few remaining tanneries still producing vegetable tanned leather. The English Bridle leather I use is of such strength and quality that it is typically destined for high end equestrian gear, but also makes it perfect for small carry goods when skived down to a suitable thickness. English Bridle has a smooth matte finish with a firm temper, but breaks in easily with some use. You can learn more about different kinds of leather here. English Bridle differs from natural vegetable tanned leather because it has been dyed and treated after tanning, giving it its colour, feel, and strength. Although, it must be said that all of the leather I use is of the same and utmost quality.

I will be making these individually on a made to order basis. Please allow up to two weeks of production time before your order is shipped. In the event that these wallets are out of stock, my current production batch limit has likely been met. Production batches are limited to a certain number, to help meet expectations for production and shipping times.